J.J. Redick taught LeBron James everything he knows about podcasting.
And the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers knew a lot. But that was a past life. Redick is no longer a content creator. He’s not breaking down pick-and-rolls on YouTube or debating first-round exits on ESPN. Now, as the 29th head coach in Lakers franchise history, he’s tasked with helping LeBron chase his fifth NBA championship, even as the ‘King’ continues to push back against the media’s obsession with ring culture.
Of course, he made that complaint on a podcast.
Mind the Game — the show James launched with Redick and now co-hosts with Steve Nash — has become LeBron’s preferred forum for long-form basketball discussion. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, James said he’s still learning from Nash, who is now a studio analyst for Prime Video’s NBA coverage. Their podcast is distributed through Amazon’s Wondery, a fitting destination for a player who sees Amazon’s footprint as a sign of where NBA media is headed.
But when it comes to the art of podcasting, all roads still lead back to Redick.
“I think when it comes to podcasting specifically, not only being committed to doing it … but also just being very knowledgeable about the game, breaking down things,” James told THR about what he learned from Redick about podcasting specifically. “And his nuances: having the stats, having the data to be able to back up some of the things that you’re saying.
“So when I had this season one with JJ, the one thing is that he was always super-duper-crazy prepared. And it makes sense why he is the coach that he is now. My one year that I’ve had with him so far, you see how incredibly prepared he is. It doesn’t matter if it’s broadcasting, if it’s podcasting, or coaching. You could see it all translate to one another where it comes to being prepared — the preparation that he takes into it. You can learn from that in any field; it doesn’t have to be sports. It could be anything in life, just being prepared. And I think that gets you so much further along the curve than not being prepared.”
Preparedness, James added, cuts across everything, whether it’s broadcasting, podcasting, or coaching. It’s the common thread. And it’s part of what he’s hoping can give the Lakers an edge in what might be the final chapter of his career.
And while rings define careers, preparation defines everything else.